Martin K. Plenzler: more library goodies

While scanning the voter registration and naturalization microfilm at the Toledo Lucas County Library this week, I also located Martin Plenzler’s Certificate of Naturalization. Click the image below to see a full-sized high-res scan of the document.

Martin K. Plenzler Certificate of Naturalization

Like Andrew Przybylski’s son, Frank, Martin Plenzler was naturalized under his father’s effort for citizenship. I did not find his father’s (Joseph Plenzler) naturalization documentation, but it is clearly stated here that Joeseph Plenzler was naturalized on 19 October 1891. We know that Joseph arrived prior to 1884, when Eva and her first two children, Martin and Joseph, sailed from Hamburg. Son John was born the following year in 1885.

Martin, because of his foreign birth, required naturalization papers in order to vote. We can determine the date that he filed and declared citizenship in order to vote via the instrument called “minor’s papers” or “father’s papers” at that time by looking at the ages on the document. It states that Martin was 32 and his wife Minnie was 27 at the time the document was executed. Minnie was born in 1886. Looking at the bottom of the document, where it indicates that Martin had registered to vote, it states he had resided in Toledo on Avondale for 25 years. So that aligns perfectly. He was a two-year-old child at the time of immigration. This means the document was executed sometime in 1913 since he lists his children, and daughter Florence was age five months. Florence was born in 1913. There is a small curiosity with the children however. The daughter named Edwina used the name of Edna. (Edna and her sister, Florence, actually merit their own post sometime in the future.)